


so let the light guide your way

by WielderOfFairyTales



Category: Everyman HYBRID
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Gen, Nostalgia, Platonic Relationships, Song: See You Again (Wiz Khalifa), Songfic, am i cool yet, famous quote for a summary, god just look at that lowercase song lyric title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24218956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WielderOfFairyTales/pseuds/WielderOfFairyTales
Summary: "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."- Lord Alfred Tennyson
Relationships: Evan & Jeff & Vinny (Everyman HYBRID), HABIT & Vinny (Everyman HYBRID), James Corenthal & the boys
Kudos: 6





	so let the light guide your way

_It's been a long day without you, my friend_

_And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_

"Hey, HABIT. I got your text." The camera jostles as Vinny climbs the porch stairs. HABIT glances at him, acknowledges his words with a short "Yeah." He seems distracted. 

"So, what's our next move?" Vinny does not bother to keep the impatience out of his voice. HABIT just looks around at the trees that surround the cabin, adjusting the gun he's holding, turns back to look at Vinny with a smirk. HABIT still doesn't answer. 

"I'm ready, what are we doing?" Vinny asks again, urgency in his voice. He thinks he might have been a patient man, once. But that well, large as it was, has run dry. Time is no longer a luxury that they can enjoy. 

HABIT looks at him, his face ( _Evan's face. It's Evan's face._ ) the most serious Vinny has ever seen it. 

"You're dying, Vinny. That's what we're doing." 

HABIT's voice is always hoarse, but this time it sounds tired. Sick.

Vinny thinks he sounds like he's the one dying.

_We've come a long way from where we began_

Vinny and HABIT stare into the fire. HABIT looks over at Vinny and says, "This is when it happens, Vinny. This is how we change things-" A loud gurgling noise comes from behind them, distracting Vinny. "-The symbol can only do so much- _Focus_." HABIT growls, Vinny looking back to him. He shifts closer to HABIT, who continues his monologue. 

"The symbol can only do so much. It needs two things to breath life into it." HABIT holds up two fingers. "Fire-" He points to their campfire. "-and suffering." He clenches his fist. "I brought the fire. There’s only one person I can think of that can bring the most, _human_ suffering possible." He hands Vinny the North Star, and the gurgling noise behind them grows into a growl.

"Focus! Don’t listen to the ghosts." HABIT leans in a little closer. "They don’t want you to make this. This universe doesn’t want you to make this. Nothing _alive_ wants this to happen."

HABIT's voice is slowly getting more and more feral, and Vinny thinks he sees what HABIT truly is - a being, an entity of barely contained rage and bloodlust and destruction, roiling in a thin human skin.

"And it can all feel it. But we’re going do it anyway," HABIT's holding both of Vinny's hands in his own, and Vinny hears the glee in his voice- the anticipation. "-because we have a god to kill." 

"And that's why it’s important-" HABIT is gesturing with one hand, the other still holding Vinny's hand. "-that you put the most emotion into this as possible. When you put that symbol into that fire," HABIT slowly releases Vinny's hand and leans back.

"I need you to remember _everything_. Everything that you’ve ever adored. Everything that’s ever happened to you." HABIT's voice is a little less of a growl now, but Vinny doesn't think he'll ever again hear Evan's voice in it. He stares into the fire as HABIT continues.

"All the people that we’ve taken from you. All the bodies I’ve made you step over. The years of your… confinement. All the horrors and atrocities you’ve witnessed." Vinny wonders if he should be angry right now. That's what he needs to be for this to work. But all he feels is numb. He looks anywhere except at HABIT.

"All the loved ones that you’ve lost. And all the loved ones that you never had a change to meet. Who’s your grandfathers name, Vinny?" The growling behind them is louder now. Still HABIT continues.

"Did you ever have one? Even _memories_ stolen from you!" HABIT gestures wildly. Vinny still doesn't look at him. "No one has suffered the way you have suffered, and you’ve sat and you’ve watched. Use it here, now!" HABIT stands up. "It is your ammo. It is your strength. It is your ordinance." They both stare into the fire.

"And when it’s done," HABIT points into the flames. "-make a _weapon_." 

_And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again_

The next time Evan opens his eyes, he is greeted with a familiar face. Jeff is standing over him, and - he notes somewhat sluggishly - Corenthal is there too. Evan struggles to sit up for a few seconds and Jeff grasps his hands, pulling him to his feet. 

Jeff and the doc watch Evan for a moment, and he watches them, wondering what they're thinking right now. Before he can register what's happening, he's wrapped in Jeff's arms tightly, the doc watching for a second before joining the two of them. 

Evan holds on to the both of them, and whispers a hoarse "Missed you guys" and pulls away to scan the familiar surroundings of the Candleverse for Vinny. Corenthal and Jeff understand immediately who he's looking for, and the three of them stumble through the trees until they find Vinny a few minutes later.

Vinny’s lying against a tree, in the same position he died in. He's not conscious yet, from the looks of it, when Evan makes his way over to him somewhat hesitantly. He kicks Vinny in the leg, jerking him awake, before backing away a little to give Vinny some space. 

Vinny pulls his hand away from his neck, where it had been covering the spot he'd been hit with the North Star dagger. He stares at his - now blood-free - hand, then runs it through his hair (which has, Vinny notices, grown back from the little haircut he'd given himself) as he moves to a sitting position. 

He looks up at Evan, who holds out a hand to him, and Vinny takes it without hesitation to pull himself up. Evan gives him a short, friendly pat on the arm and steps back as Vinny exchanges a fist bump with Jeff. 

Vinny looks down at his shoes for a second before turning to Corenthal, his voice breaking a little as he says, "I fucked up, Dad."

Corenthal pulls him into a quick hug, muttering "It's okay." Near tears, it takes Vinny a monumental effort to let go, but he does. He stares at the ground again, before looking back to Corenthal as he replies, "It's not."

Corenthal gives a half-shrug as he looks at Vinny. "You did what you thought was right." 

Vinny feels lighter as they all leave the clearing together. They're leaving the camera behind. They're leaving the previous iterations behind.

_I think it's about time for a new one_ , Vinny thinks.

And they walk towards it. 

  
_So let the light guide your way_

_Hold every memory as you go_

_And every road you take_

_Will always lead you home_

**Author's Note:**

> so this was originally going to be a bnha fic but i decided that See You Again fit EverymanHYBRID way better and also that this fandom needs more angst


End file.
